Catholic Charities North Dakota hires two new counselors

If people are looking for extra support and professional guidance through a challenging life situation, want to improve the quality of their lives or need to talk through a major event or trauma, Catholic Charities North Dakota is here for them and wants to help.

Catholic Charities has recently hired two new therapists with offices in Bismarck. Talia Biederstedt and Jackie Flemmer are available to meet with clients in the diocese. Both are licensed social workers.

The Bismarck office is located at 600 S. 2nd St., Suite 202, in a complex behind the Ramkota hotel. Catholic Charities ND has offices in Fargo, Grand Forks, Minot and Bismarck.

Here’s an introduction to the newest therapists available to the people of the diocese.

Where do you live?
Talia: I live in Lincoln. I was born and raised in Bismarck.
Jackie: I live in Bismarck. I am from Michigan and moved to N.D. in 2009.

How long have you been with Catholic Charities ND in the role/job as therapist?
Talia: I have been with Catholic Charities ND for eight years. I was a guardianship worker for individuals with developmental disabilities. I started in the counseling department in June 2020.
Jackie: I started with Catholic Charities ND in April 2020, and before that was working with the veterans’ affairs as a mental health therapist. 

Aside from general counseling, what areas do you specialize in?
Talia: In my Master of Social Work degree, I also specialized in children and families. I received my degree in 2018 from Simmons University. While in school, we had the option to specialize, since I wanted to work within the N.D. community, I felt that specializing with children and families would be the best option and that there is a need in our community for this. I recently was trained in eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) and I am very excited to continue this therapy practice and continue to learn other therapy modalities.
Jackie: I graduated with my Masters of Social Work from the University of North Dakota in 2012, having completed the Advanced Generalist Program. This diverse education was a good foundation to begin with. I have since worked with various populations and several modalities, to include: acceptance and commitment therapy, cognitive processing therapy, crisis intervention, ASIST (applied suicide intervention skills training), and motivational interviewing. I have also been recently trained in EMDR and am excited to further work with this therapy with my clients.

Do you have additional experience working with specific individuals or groups?
Talia: I have worked with individuals with developmental disabilities for over 10 years, working with all ages. This is my first position as a therapist. At this time, I am seeing ages six and up.
Jackie: I have worked with veterans in the VA system and in military environments. My experience has been generally with the adult populations and I look forward to working more with children and adolescences. At this time, I see ages six and up.

In what cities within the diocese are you seeing clients/taking appointments?
Our main office is in Bismarck and clients are welcome to see us in-person. We also have the ability to use telehealth, so we can see anyone within the state of North Dakota. Our telehealth services are very easy to connect to, and seem to be well received from our clients!

Are there other Catholic Charities ND staff therapists who see clients in other areas/cities within the Bismarck Diocese? There are five therapists employed with Catholic Charities ND. Jackie and Talia are the therapists with offices in Bismarck. A licensed psychologist in Minot, Dr. Della Martinsen, is available to see clients in that area, as well.

How can someone schedule an appointment with you or any of the therapists or counselors working within the Bismarck Diocese? To schedule an appointment, call 701-255-1793. Our administrative assistant will schedule with the preferred clinician, or whomever has the soonest availability.

Special request: Catholic Charities is seeking donations of therapeutic toys to add to their play therapy room in the Bismarck office. Toys don’t need to be new, just in good shape. For a list of desired toys to donate to their new workspace, contact the office at 701-255-1793.